Mello's Yello Dog
by ace1413
Summary: One night Mello finds a dog... Just an idea I've been kicking around. How will the two geniuses react to an attention seeking fun loving yellow lab? First story I've dared to upload in a few years go easy please. Rated T to be safe. I do not own death not
1. Chapter 1

The sun was just setting as the blonde walked down the street, kicking a can down the ally angrily. Once again he had been turned down for a job, and he was sure it was because of the scar that adorned the left side of his face. He growled slightly, his lack of a job was not for lack of trying. He had promised Matt he would get a job that did not involve the mafia as soon as his face had healed, but this was looking fruitless, people in this world were so damn judgmental. As he kicked another can, his ears heard a yelp come from further down the ally. He paused and stood there for a moment. He heard the yelp again and the laughing of a few kids. The scarred blonde entered the ally cautiously and noticed a few kids picking on a yellow dog.

The kids had obviously chased the little thing down, and now they were kicking it, cursing it and laughing as it tried to pull itself away with his back legs tied together. The blonde was contemplating calling attention to a cop he had seen a few blocks down at a coffee shop when he saw one of the boys take a cigarette and put it out on the dog's stomach, the poor thing screamed, that sent the already angry blonde over the edge.

He pulled his gun out of his boot and released the safety. "Hey, how'd you like it if I put that out on your face?" The blonde had his hood up, no one would recognize him.

The three laughing males turned around and stared at the short hooded figure in the ally way. "Look, this doesn't concern you; get out before you get me angry." The tall boy obviously didn't know who he was playing with.

The gun raised and Mello moved closer to the scene. "I'm going to give you five seconds to clear out…"

"Whoa… Chill buddy… We were just leaving…" The boy said after noticing the gun, his two friends had stopped laughing when the gun had been pointed at them. One reached for the dog and the blonde let a shot ring through the ally, and pang off the garbage can nearest to them.

"Leave the dog…"

The three boys put their hands up and side stepped out of the Ally way. When the gunman was sure the boys were gone he walked to where the dog was lying, looking up at him wagging its little tail. He sighed and put the gun back in his pocket where he had taken it from and knelt down by the little thing. It couldn't have been more then 15lbs, and it couldn't have been very old. The little yellow face looked like it was grinning and the liquid brown eyes showed only happiness. "You look glad to be away from them…" He untied the little things legs, the little dog jumped up and began to lick his face all over, its body wiggling from tail to nose.

"Ew… Easy there slobber face." He pushed the little wiggle worm down and pet its soft ears gently. "I wish I could be so happy and carefree as you…" He stood up and turned to leave however the little dog just stood there looking up at him. "Go home mutt." He says walking down the Ally way. He had no intentions of keeping this yellow mutt; however the little thing began to follow him. "I said go home!" He yelled, but the little dog cowered and stayed close to him. After staring at the dog for a moment he sighed. "You don't have a home now do you? Those Asses probably were your owners…"

The blonde stood there debating for a few minutes before he knelt down and scooped the wiggling yellow dog into his arms. "Well you can stay with me for the night…"

The little dog's eyes just looked up at the blonde, happy to be held and hugged. Like a kindergartener who just got picked up from its first day of school by its parents. The blonde sighed and carried the little thing down the street, and up the flight of stairs to the apartment building he lived in. Unfortunately for him the landlord was around.

Normally the landlord didn't talk to Mello, usually he waited for Matt, but upon seeing the dog he walked over. "Mello… Who's dog is that?"

"No one's at the moment… want it?" The blonde asked holding the now calm dog out to the man.

"No thanks… If you want to have that dog you need to show me shot records and get me the pet deposit…"

Mello altered the dog's spot in his arms holding it under its armpits and supporting its bottom with his other arm, belly out. "Eh I just go him… I'll have to get his shots tomorrow… The deposit too… I'll send Matt down with it in the morning… He got his pay check to day so he'll have that and the rent down to you." Mello said staying relatively calm, he didn't know why but when the dog had cowered away from him it had hit a spot in his heart.

"No later then tomorrow Mello, I mean it or I'll call animal control." The landlord rolled his eyes as the blonde walked around him with the dog in his arms. "Oh and Mello?"

The blonde turned with an irritated sigh, with a 'what' look on his face.

"It's a she… Not a he…"

Mello rolled his eyes, he hadn't even thought to figure out what sex the dog was. He carried it up the stairs and after unlocking the door put the dog down in the apartment. "Ok… No pissing on anything, no eating anything and no… drooling on anything." He walked to the fridge and took out a can of generic cola Matt had brought home. He wasn't all that surprised to find Matt not at home. He picked up his cell phone and turned, eyes widening some. "NO! Bad Dog!"

Said bad dog was chewing on Matt's game system console. The dog looked over at Mello, wagging its tail as if it were a good dog and gnawing on the console more. Mello stalked over and picked up the puppy with a sigh. "Bad girl…" He tapped her nose, but couldn't find it in his heart to hit the puppy. He was quickly realizing this was not a full sized dog. The paws on the thing were huge.

"Are you hungry? Eh I'm hungry too… Lets see what we got here…" While holding the dog this time, Mello looked through the cupboards, not finding anything he thought a dog should or would consume. "Hmm… How about pasta!" He said looking at the puppy's brown eyes. "Even I can do that… Just boil water, throw some salt in it and ten minutes later wa la! Pasta! I don't think Pasta is bad for you at least…"

The blonde put the puppy down. "How old are you anyway girl?" Mello really had no idea about dog's, let alone puppies. He'd have to find someone who knew something about them tomorrow. Mello put the water on to boil and put the pasta in, he picked up his forgotten cell phone, watching the dog chew on an old slipper of Matt's. The phone rang a few times, and Mello tapped his foot impatiently.

"Ello?"

"Bring home dog food…"

"Mello… I don't care how mad you are at me or what sick idea is going through your head, but I am not eating dog food…"

"Its not for you, you egocentric Ass. Oh and the landlord upped the rent by $100 bucks, bring that home with you."

"Mello… Why do you want to eat dog food? And why did he up the rent? How many ATM's do you expect me to hit up for money here?"

"You'll find out when you get home… Hurry up or find your own dinner I'm not promising we're leaving you any…"

"Who's this we you're talking about?" The red head didn't seem to be concentrating; however the blonde could hear the sounds of the arcade behind him.

"Look number three… Just get home and bring a chew toy with you unless you want your slippers eaten."

"Wait… A dog? Mello… You brought home a dog!?"

Mello hung up the phone without another word and sighed, taking some butter and some already grated pasta cheese out of the fridge and sighing. "If you see something with red hair, and who smell's idiotic and of electronics bite it ok?"

The yellow dog just wagged its tail and brought the slipper over to Mello, looking up at him expectantly.

"You want me to throw that don't you… I refuse…" He turned around, but found the slipper dropped on his foot. Mello sighed. "You know I'm the boss around here little girl…" He got down on the floor and threw the slipper across the room, the puppy ran after it excitedly, little paws scraping on the tile floor of the kitchen, and not quite moving at first because of how fast it tried to take off.

After ten minutes of playing throw the slipper, wrestle it away from the dog and throw the slipper again, Mello had almost forgotten about the pasta and he jumped up to dump it in the strainer, then dump it into a bowl with the butter and mix it in. "You're distracting you know that?" he said to the panting dog.

After the pasta had cooled and Mello had found a bowl to give the pup water in, he gave the dog some of the pasta and sat down to eat some himself. The yellow dog ate it up and he sighed, eating his own slowly. By the time he finished, and looked around for the puppy, the little thing was asleep at his feet.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own death note... Thanks to flamablechoklit and Gerashaltnotkill for the reviews! You guys gave me the push I needed to post the 2nd chapter.**

The redhead walking home late at night felt a little foolish. He had gone to the store to pick up the dog food his blonde companion had asked for and been in for quite a shock when he found out there was more then one kind of dog food. The girl at the store had asked him how old the dog was, what breed the dog was, did he want wet food or dry food and he hadn't had an idea of what to tell her.

He'd opted to let the girl at the store help him pick out the food; he went for these little packs of wet food that looked closest to human food. Honestly he didn't see any reason why anyone would eat the dry kibble that ordinary dogs ate. Besides if Mello brought this dog home it had to be a special one. He'd also grabbed a variety of toys, and other things the girl in the store insisted any new dog owner would need. All the while he kept thinking _Mello better not be pulling my leg…_

As he made it up the stairs he glanced at his watch and read the time of 12:00 on his watch. So it had taken him a few hours to get home… Mello shouldn't be too mad at him. Just to be on the safe side he opened the door quietly and slid in with making as little sound as possible. He set the bags from the store on the table and looked around the apartment for Mello.

He found him on the couch, lying stretched out fast asleep. Beside him was a little hair ball, curled up close to Mello's chest, the little head resting with its' forehead pressed near Mello's heart. The gamer had to smile at this sight, the idea of Mello being so gentle to something so small made him suppress an awe. He walked to find his camera and took a picture of the sight; black mail was sweet.

He couldn't help but watch the two together on the couch. He thought it was a little ironic that Mello would bring home a dog whose fur matched his own hair color. As he turned around to upload his blackmail to one of his laptops he stood in shock at what he saw. One of his games, chewed to bits on the floor by the kitchen, beside his slipper and a few torn up cigarette packs from the trash pile. His eyes narrowed under his goggles. "God Damn it, if it isn't Mello destroying my stuff in spite it's his hired dog…"

Matt heard a creak from the couch behind him and turned to watch Mello open his eyes slowly. He looked up at Matt before looking to the clock. "Four hours Matt?" He raised a half asleep eye brow, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"You let it eat my stuff?"

"That's what you get for staying out so late…"

"You stay out late all the time Mello…"

"That's different… I'm working not playing at the arcade…" The blonde sat up and stretched some. The yellow dog that had been nuzzled into his chest, wined in protest and looked up at him, blinking before getting up to turn slightly and close its eyes again.

"So you go out looking for a job that doesn't have to do with bullets whizzing past your head and come home with a dog?" Matt asks changing subjects before Mello woke up enough to become irritated enough to point his gun at him.

"I was not going to leave her to those Jack Asses in the ally…" Mello looked down at the yellow dog and watched its stomach rising and falling. It looked so peaceful as it slept and he sighed.

"So what's the newest addition to our families name mama?" Matt asks crossing his arms and leaning over the back of the couch to watch the thing sleep.

"I don't know…" Mello rolled his eyes at the comment and stood up slowly. "I don't even know what breed of dog it is… How big she's supposed to get… how old… If I'm actually keeping her… I mean what do either of us know about raising dogs?" He walked towards the kitchen, grabbing a chocolate bar out of the fridge and unwrapping it to snap off a piece.

It hadn't been longer then a minute when the little head had snapped up, eyes wide open looking for its blond bed warmer. It started whining and it jumped down off the couch looking around for the blond, it went trotting in the kitchen after Mello, pausing after seeing him. Then the pup noticed the red head who was staying silent and just watching the puppy with Mello.

"I'm sure I can figure out what breed of dog it is Mello… I think there was a book about a dog that looked similar. He looked down as the puppy picked up his slipper and brought it to the red head dropping the slipper at his feet and looking up at him, much like it had at Mello earlier in the evening. "Hey… Not my slipper…" Matt walked to the bag of goodies from the store and retrieved a stuffed fleece camel shaped toy. "Try this instead?" He offered the new toy to the pup, which watched the new toy with interest as Matt tossed it for her.

Little paws scraped at the tile floor in the kitchen to run across the room to grab the new toy, only to make a very astounding discovery, for a puppy at least. There was a squeaker in the toy. The puppy's eyes lit up with the new sound and soon was obsessed with trying to make the toy squeak across the room.

Mello came around the counter to watch the puppy and he shook his head. "You do realize she's going to keep that up all night…"

Matt just laughed. "I think it's great… Its like she's trying to give the squeaker CPR the way she's pushing her nose against it…" The gamer grabbed his laptop and started looking up dog breeds, it didn't take him long to walk over to Mello and show him a picture of a dog that looked similar to the one performing CPR on the stuffed camel across the room. "I give you the Labrador Retriever!"

Mello looked at the picture. "60-80 lbs? You're going to be a beast!" He shook his head and read some of the history under the picture.

"_The early Labrador originated on the island of Newfoundland, now part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The breed emerged over time from the St. John's Water Dog, also an ancestor of the Newfoundland dog (to which the Labrador is closely related). From the St. John's Dog, two breeds emerged; the larger was used for hauling, and evolved into the large and gentle Newfoundland dog, likely as a result of breeding with mastiffs brought to the island by the generations of Portuguese fishermen who had been fishing offshore since the 1400s. The smaller short-coat retrievers used for retrieval and pulling in nets from the water were the forebears of the Labrador Retriever. Eventually the dogs were brought to England on the fisherman's ships where they were used to retrieve water foul..."_

Matt shrugged and pulled the laptop away. "The rest of the description goes on to say how they are a fun loving, easily trained and easy tempered family dog..."

Mello shrugged and looked at the puppy who by now was sniffing around the door. Mello raised an eyebrow and when he saw the dog start to squat he ran over to pick the dog up before it could mess in the apartment, and rushed it outside to let it go outside on the grass, he returned with her a few minutes later.

Matt applauded. "Yeah we have to work on that whole house training thing don't we?"

"You have to train them not to go in the house?" Mello asks.

"Yeah its like potty training! Or so this website dog care for dummies says…"

"Right…" Mello sighs and sits down on the couch rubbing his eyes again. "I think I bit off more then I bargained for when I brought you home pup…" He sighed and watched as the puppy grabbed its stuffed camel and brought it over to Matt, dropping the camel at his feet and pawing at his foot to get his attention.

Matt leaned down to try and grab the toy, but the puppy grabbed it and danced away with it. "Hey that's not fair!" Matt then got down on the floor and played a bit of tug of war with the dog. He eventually got it from the yellow ball of energy and threw it for her again.

Mello rolled his eyes. "You do realize now she's not going to stop bringing it back to you…"

"What do you mean?" Matt asks

"She brought your slipper back for an hour straight earlier… Between chasing her off of all your games, trying to keep her from eating your cigarettes and making sure she hasn't had another accident in the house its been a very busy four hours… You are cleaning up all your cigarettes tomorrow by the way… We are going to dog proof this house…"

"Why am I the only one getting blamed here?"

"Because its you who never puts your things away… You just throw things on the floor with out even a thought to organize trash from good stuff…"

"Aw That is so not true…"

"Uh huh… That's why she's got your Mario cart game in her mouth... From where it's been thrown beside the TV for the last three weeks…"

Matt's eyes widened and he spun around and jumped up to retrieve his game. "This is going to take some getting used to… and A lot of chew toys…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed! Sorry if his chapter seems a little choppy and split up, normally I write a whole chapter at once then just edit it... this one i wrote at two seperete times. Anyway! Gomen if I hint at a MattxMello, I admit I am a fan girl and I do not plan on making this that type of fic, but in my mind they are always together. I plead guilty on that count! Anyway, I do not own Death Note... Matty and Mell's wouldn't have died otherwise... There is a loophole in my mind! Hmm Maybe I will write that one day... Anyhoo On with the story! (Oh... Yes I am still trying to decide what to name the puppy x.x)**

It wasn't till noon that Mello stirred from his sleep, he didn't remember falling asleep on the bed, but when he turned to find the newest addition to their household sleeping against him once again, the toy Matt had brought home the night before beside her. He rubbed his eyes slowly and watched the little thing breathe softly as she slept. He was finding a new appreciation for life in watching the carefree happiness in the puppy with no worries except to play. He reached a hand out and stroked along the pup's head, fingers trailing down one of its ears and playing with the tip of the soft ear.

Across the bed on the other side of the pup the redheaded gamer began to stir slowly, he'd been up most of the night getting his games out of the puppy's reach, after all some of those games were classics. He groaned and turned over in his sleep.

Mello looked up to watch Matt turn over, and shook his head. It really did serve him right for never cleaning up his stuff. As Mello watched the light dance off of Matt's bed head, he became aware of his hand becoming covered in saliva. He looked down at the puppy and smiled at the half awake eyes, that watched him. "Good morning to you too… Come on let's let Matt sleep a little longer." He lifted the puppy, and grabbed the new toy for safe measure before leaving the bedroom as quiet as possible.

After making a trip outside to give her a chance to go, the website of dog care for dummies had said taking a new puppy out as often as possible was the best way to keep carpets from smelling of feces and urine, he brought her inside to look at the feeding instructions on the food Matt had brought home. He'd figure out exactly what he should be feeding her later, but for now at least he had something he could be confident wouldn't poison the innocent little thing.

He put the food down and watched her sniff it before tasting it and spitting it out, giving him a look like he was trying to poison her. "You be grateful you're getting anything at all after the run around you gave us last night…You little lunatic…" He turned away to ignore her for a few minutes, and to his surprise once the little thing decided he wasn't eating anything better she started to eat the chunks of dog food slowly.

Mello shook his head and picked up his abandoned chocolate bar from the night before and took a bite out of it, grabbing a phone book and sitting at the kitchen table to look up veterinarian's offices. He did have to get the dog it's shots to keep the land lord happy. He couldn't imagine the little dog he'd had over night ever staying in a cage at some pound. He found one that wasn't too far away and one that didn't have a huge add in the phone book. He dialed the number and waited.

"Good Afternoon Faithful Friends Veterinary, this is Lori speaking cat I help you?"

"Uh… Yeah… I recently brought home a puppy and I need to get her shots and what ever else puppies need…" Mello hated sounding so stupid on the phone, he should have woken Matt up and made him call, he was used to sounding like an idiot.

"Ok… Can I get your Last name?"

"Uh… I've never been there before…"

"Alright… I still need your name…"

Mello bit his lip, giving out his name was not something he did freely. He gave the most generic name he could come up with. "Mello…M.E.L.L.O…."

"And is that your first name or your last name?"

"First… "

"Last name?"

"Uh…King…" He lied.

"Alright, and your puppy's name?"

"She doesn't have one yet…"

"Alright… Well we have an opening this afternoon… Would you like to come in at 3:30?"

"Yeah… That'll work…"

"Alright we'll see you then!"

Mello hung up the phone and rolled his eyes. "You better be worth it…" His eyes looked down towards the puppy to find her out of sight. "Shit… What are you into now…" He stood up and found a little tail wagging from halfway under the couch, he reached under to pull her out and found her chewing on the leg of the couch. "No furniture…" He tapped her nose and walked over to the bag looking through it and finding a tennis ball. "Hmm…" He squeezed it and it squeaked, this caused the little head in his arms to tilt. "I think we have a winner with anything that squeaks…" He sat her down and rolled the tennis ball, watching her run after it, pawing the ball with her paws and batting it around the kitchen floor.

It was about then that Matt came out of the bedroom, dressed only in his jeans. He walked over eyes closed to the coffee machine and began to make the coffee out of memory, and Mello shook his head, best not to waste his breath till Matt at least smelled the coffee.

As soon as the red head had sat down at the table and looked over at Mello, Mello spoke. "We have to take her to the vet in a few… So get your butt in gear you're driving us."

"… Oh the dog…" He says after a moment.

"Who did you think I was talking about?" Mello shook his head. "Dumb Ass…"

"I kind of forgot about her for a few minutes… I thought you were talking about some girl I didn't realize was here last night." He rubbed his head a bit.

"You drank beer while you were cleaning up last night…"

"At least I wasn't so buzzed that I left you asleep on the floor with the Midget over there… Give me a break Mel's."

"Don't call me that…" Mello said automatically and stood up, taking out some frozen chocolate chip waffles and putting them in the toaster.

"But Mel's… Its just so cute watching your face get all red from it!"

"Do you want me to press my gun to your head this early in the morning?"

"What a grouch huh?" Matt says to the puppy who had by now captured the ball and was trying to carry it around, but it was a little big for her yet. Matt reached down and picked up the pup, the pup play biting around his hand a bit as he pet her.

A little later that day, Matt was parking the car and Mello was holding their newest addition to the family. The pup had decided that it wanted to sit on Matt's lap and put its head through the steering wheel while he was driving more the once so now it was sentenced to sit in Mello's lap, while Mello held the squirming all to excited puppy in his arms.

"That pup is trying to get us killed…" Matt said as he put the car in park finally and sat back.

"She doesn't know that…"

"I think she knows more then she lets on… She's a little Lunatic…" Matt mumbles.

"You're just mad because you almost crashed your precious car… Honestly Matt what's more important your stupid car or a living puppy… How can you stay mad at the little Lunatic?" Mello held the cute faced puppy out to Matt. Matt's eyes stayed angry for a moment before he pulled the pup from Mello's grasp and hugged it. "There is just no staying mad at you… You are just too cute… Almost like Mello." He hugged the pup as it licked his face and he sighed.

Mello shook his head and got out of the old car stretching and looking up at the veterinarian's office. He was still self conscious about the scar on his face, plus he was still hiding from the Mafia. He hated going out in public anymore, but he supposed that the likelihood of anyone recognizing him were slim to none.

Matt then got out of the car, puppy under his arm. "We really need to stop calling her dog and give her a name Mello…"

"We will… Eventually…" Mello sighed and looked up and down the street before entering the Vet's Matt followed behind him. The waiting room was small, but welcoming. A TV sat to one side with lady and the tramp playing. A woman behind the desk smiled. "Can I help you?"

"Uh yeah… I called earlier about bringing the puppy in… Mello?"

The woman nodded. "Yes sir, sit down and the doctor will be right with you."

Mello sat down on one of the benches, and Matt sat beside him. Matt put the pup down and watched the little thing begin to walk around sniffing the ground, the pup looked up at the TV scene as the cocker spaniel puppy that was Lady began to cry after being locked in the kitchen her first night home.

Their yellow puppy began to cry and look at the TV sadly. Matt got down on the floor and pulled their puppy close, However Matt had brought along her squeaky camel in his vest pocket and when he hugged her close it squeaked and the puppy began to run around him trying to nose under him and find where her beloved camel was hiding, little paws trying to dig under Matt.

"Matt stop teasing her… Give her the Camel already…"

"But its fun Mello!" Matt laughed and produced the camel, watching the pup run around him with it in her mouth.

The vet came out at that point. "Ah we got a Loony Lab huh? You must be Mello, I'm Dr. Brook, please come with me." The woman smiled and motioned for them to come with her. Matt scooped up the yellow dog and followed Mello into the exam room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone, sorry this took longer to do. I've been really busy with finals and christmas and wrapping gifts and rewrapping them after my lovely one eyed cat decided to destroy my wrap job the first time. But anyway, this chapter is a bit all over the place because I realized how close christmas was and I wanted to get the idea in the next chapter up before or on christmas so i kinda sped up the plot line a bit. Anyways I don't own death note, I do own Lunatic though! Oh if you guys want I'll post a pic/link of my inspiration for this fic in my profile, just let me know!**

The vet smiled at them, as she closed the door behind them. "Well shall we get a weight on her?" She looked at Matt and gestured to the scale.

Matt walked over and sat her on the scale, trying to make sure she didn't run off till the scale could register a weight.

"18 pounds…" Dr. Brook smiled, picking her up off the scale and sitting her on an exam table. "I estimate her to be about 12 weeks old… Is that right?"

"Your guess is about as good as ours…" Mello says with a shrug. "I found her abandoned on the street…"

"And you just take her into your hearts like that? Awe Then she'll always be thankful for you… Sounds like a great start to a long life together." Dr. Brook smiled and the yellow pup licked her face, tail wagging ecstatically.

"Uh yeah… We just don't know what we're doing…" Matt says with a shrug. "Neither of us has ever owned a dog…"

Dr. Brook's smiled faltered for a moment. "Well I think I can get you some pamphlets and other stuff to make your transition to parenthood easier… Dog training, free sample of puppy food, flea and tick care and stuff like that…"

"You really think we're cut out to raise her?" Mello asks watching the doctor grab a thermometer and some Vaseline. The pup squirmed as the doctor put it in, and Matt winced. "Ow.. Poor little thing… I wouldn't be thrilled if someone tried to take my temperature that way.."

"Well I think anyone who wants to take the time can raise a puppy… I'll just give you the right sources for guidance… If you don't to keep her we could put up a sign for adoption in our office, she's young she shouldn't be hard to find a home for her…"

Matt jumped up at this. "No way!"

Mello blinked as he turned to Matt. "What Matt… It might be better for her to be raised by someone who knows what their doing…"

"But Mello, she chose you… It's got to be fate or something!"

"We'll discuss it later Matt… We'll keep that in mind doc…" Mello said giving a look at Matt to not say another word. "If you're going to outburst Matt you can go wait in the waiting room…"

Matt sighed and sat down on the chair. "You can't shove some foster kid into new homes right before Christmas Mello, you should know how hard it is to adjust..." Matt said crossing his arms and quieting down.

Mello sighed. "Sorry about him…" By this time Dr. Brook had finished her exam.

"Well she appears healthy and happy, I'd say she can get her shots now… Do you want to do all the shots or just the ones that are necessary for the law?" Dr. Brook asks.

"Eh we'll do it all… I'm sensing my red headed friend's temper will match his hair if she gets sick because I was cheep." Mello says watching Matt still sulking in the chair.

Dr. Brook smiled. "Alright I'll be right back."

When she left, Mello smacked Matt upside the head. "Will you stop with the act Matt? You can't be that attached to her already… It was just a thought…"

Matt rolled his eyes and stood up to pick up the yellow pup off the table before she could try to jump from the high exam table. "Mello… We're the only thing she's got… Besides you heard her cry when we tried to leave her on the couch… She loves us!"

"It's a dog Matt it loves anyone who feeds it…"

"That's not true! Even if other dogs are like that she's not! Just look at her eyes… She's thinking the whole time; she's not just some dumb animal Mello!"

"Jesus Matt I said we'd discuss it later… You know when you get a cigarette in your mouth and start thinking straighter then you usually think. You know discuss not throw her at the first dog catcher we see…"

"There is nothing to discuss, I know what its like to go from place to place… I will not put her up for adoption! What would you have done if someone tried to adopt me when we were younger?"

"… Matt that's not really the same thing."

"Yes it is!" The red headed male said. "If you keep talking that way we're not sleeping with you tonight." He turned around, still hugging the puppy in his arms. "Lunatic and I will sleep on the couch where grouchy Mello can't hurt our feelings!"

"God Matt… Could you not PMS in public?... Wait Lunatic?" Mello sighed as the Vet came back in the room with the shots in hand and a bag.

"So if you'll just hold her for me Matt, I'll stick her and we'll be just about done!"

Matt nodded and held the yellow puppy he had now dubbed Lunatic so the vet could finish up with the shots. "How about that new thing…" Matt said as he watched the pup. "That microchip thing…"

"Oh… Yeah we could do that today!" She took a package out from one of the cabinets in the room. "You fill out this part…" She handed it to Mello. "And mail that in, and I just put the microchip in…"

Mello nodded as the vet put the large needle near the shoulder blades of the pup, he frowned when he heard Lunatic yelp from the needle, Matt may be onto something about not wanting to let someone else take her. He had pulled that pup out of the hands of assholes ready to abuse her, who was to say someone else wouldn't do the same thing to their little girl? However he couldn't let Matt know he was right about something, then Matt might start getting ideas about him being smarter then number 3.

With a bag full of pamphlets and other free stuff Mello stood at the desk in the waiting room handing over the cash for the vet visit while Matt was still holding Lunatic protectively. Mello was beginning to wonder if Matt would ever put her down again. He hadn't put her down since Mello had suggested giving her up for adoption.

"Hey Mel's? I'm goanna run her outside; I think she's got to go." Matt said interrupting Mello's thoughts.

Mello nodded and turned around to take the receipt, hearing a laugh from behind him he turned and composed himself quickly; one of the men from his time at the mafia had just come out of one of the other rooms.

"Well Mello, You're alive?"

"Nice to see you too Tony…" Mello said folding the receipt and shoving it in his jacket pocket.

"Well this is the last place I expected to see you…" Tony laughed some. "We've missed you Mello, hasn't been the same… There's still a position open for you…"

"Yeah well we all have pets don't we…" Mello thought for a moment. "Here's my cell phone number. I might be interested in the job." He did still need to get a job; he didn't need to tell Matt it involved the Mafia. He handed the man a card. "If the red head who was with me answers, don't talk to him just hang up and try again later."

"Your friend doesn't want you involved with our group anymore?" Tony asks as he steps up to pay for the dog that he had with him.

"He's a little worried I'll get into another accident and both sides of my face will match." Mello says with a shrug. "He's a bit like having a wife."

At that Matt stuck his head back in the door. "Mello! It's snowing hurry up!" His head then disappeared again. This earned a chuckle from Tony and the girl behind the desk.

Mello shook his head and rolled his eyes, before he waved good bye to Tony and walked out the door, watching Matt and the pup dance around on the side walk as the flakes began to fall. He walked around to the door of the old red car Matt insisted on keeping only to find his hand grabbed. Mello raised an eye brow at this, and turned his eyes to look at the goggled ones of his red headed friend.

"How about we get a Christmas tree this year?" Matt pointed over to a gas station that had a few tree's across the street.

"Why on earth would we get a Christmas tree?"

"It's only a few days to Christmas Yello! Its Lunatic's first Christmas we should do something special!"

"She's just going to end up eating it…" Mello rolled his eyes. "If you know what's good for your balls you'll never call me that in public again…"

"That's part of the puppy experience!" Matt shrugged. "Well you can come with me and Lunatic or stand here out in the cold." Matt then turned and walked puppy under his arm across the street to said gas station and began looking at the trees.

Mello stood there for about 2 minutes before he sighed. Matt was right only a few days till Christmas. He chewed his lip as he waited for the traffic to stop to join Matt in the holiday tradition. What should he get Matt? What did Matt want that he didn't already have? That was a better question.

Mean while across the road…

Matt put Lunatic down and let her sniff the trees as he walked down the isles. The yellow pup just followed behind him, excited at all the smells. She paused at one and began to chew on one of the branches.

"Hey… No chew… Hey that's not a half bad one girl… Is that the tree you want?" He tilted his head and hummed to himself. Despite Christmas's color matching his hair he didn't mind the holiday. He actually enjoyed all the old claymation Christmas stories that were hardly played anymore. Just as he was about to call the man over for the tree Mello came up behind him and picked up Lunatic.

"For someone who doesn't want her gone you sure chance a lot putting her down beside a road in a Christmas tree lot full of holiday rush Christmas shoppers." Mello groaned some and patted the pups head. "You getting a tree or not?"

Over the course of the next couple of days Matt had gone completely stir crazy about this whole Christmas thing. At least in Mello's opinion. The whole apartment was decorated with wreathes, lights, candy canes, stockings, tree and even to Mello's horror Christmas Pillows. Not that Mello had been home for a few hours at a time at his new 'job' as he referred to it to Matt, which was consulting with the Mafia again. Matt didn't need to know that his new job wasn't at the local pizza shop. But that was besides the point, the point was every time Mello went out for a few hours his home was becoming more and more like a Christmas store. And Lunatic was loving all the lights, and ribbons and tree bark that she could get her little paws on.

Mello was actually afraid to open the door into the apartment after being gone on a walk with Lunatic for an hour to get rid of some of her excess energy. It was Christmas Eve, and Mello could smell something from outside the door, he opened the door quickly and blinked a bit at the sight of Matt attempting to cook dinner. "What in the seven Hell's Matt?"


	5. Chapter 5

Matt turned and looked at Mello dumb founded. "What do you mean? Someone had to make Christmas Eve Dinner!" He then blinked as he looked into the pot. "Hey I didn't put any pepper in the mashed potatoes… How'd that black stuff get in there?"

Mello rolled his eyes and looked down at Lunatic before unhooking the leash and hanging it by the door with his coat. The blonde then walked over to survey the damage. "Uh Matt… You can't use metal masher in a pot that is non stick… It scrapes the not stick surface off…"

Matt stared blankly at the pot. "That still doesn't explain why there's pepper… Oh! That's the non stick coating… I so just failed…"

Mello shook his head and turned off the heat under the pot before putting it back on the stove. "We can start over on those…" Mello said trying to not kill Matt's Christmas spirit. "What's burning?"

The smoke alarm suddenly began to go off and Matt spun around to look at the oven, where flames could be seen through the small glass panel. "Holy shit!"

Mello ran out in the hall way to break the glass and grab the fire extinguisher, putting out the flames and looking back to Matt after the burnt turkey was covered in white. "What the hell? How do you… I don't want to know…" Mello turned off the oven. "What else did you try to cook?"

Matt scratched his head and shrugged innocently. "Uh I tried to cook buttered noodles… but uh… I ended up burning myself and dumping the pasta all over the floor… But I cleaned that up!"

Mello sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. "Ok… Step one… What do we have left that we can make for dinner?"

"Um… Ramen?" Matt suggests. "Lunatics food?"

"Ok.... Give me ten minutes to make a few calls to see what I can round up…" Mello says with a sigh, taking his cell from his pocket and walking into the bed room.

Matt put his head down and looked around for a moment with all the excitement where was Lunatic? "Lunatic?" He says looking around, pausing in horror when he realized the door was left open when Mello had run out to get the fire extinguisher. "Oh no… Lunatic…!" He says again, checking the apartment first to make sure she wasn't just hiding some place. His eyes widened and he ran out the door and looked around the hall way before running down the stairs to get to the outside door. "Lunatic!" He called frantically. Matt cursed when he found the bottom stairs door was not latched all the way shut.

'_This is all my fault! I should have just ordered the dinner from the market! Now lunatic is gone!'_ The thoughts raced through his head as he looked around, snow started falling and Matt was starting to panic. What if she got hit by a car? Or picked up by the dog catcher? Or something worse?

After about 15 minutes his cell phone rang. It was Mello, Matt picked it up, maybe she'd gone home.

"Matt where the hell are you?"

"Looking for Lunatic…"

"You lost her! I had just taken her for a walk Matt, you didn't have to go out and loose her!"

"Mello… She ran out when the door was left open with all the excitement…" Matt said, still searching through alleys and such to try and find their dog.

"Which way did you go?"

"I went left out of the apartment building…" Matt said, wincing as he heard the anger in Mello's voice. The line disconnected and Matt hit his head against the wall he'd stopped beside. "Lunatic… Where did you go?" Matt felt a tightness in his chest he hadn't felt since he'd been afraid Mello would die after the explosion. But even then he'd had someone to help him stay calm. Mello would do anything but stay calm if he caught up with Matt.

Mello growled as he pulled on his coat and ran down the stairs. How could this have happened? They were always careful with the door, She never liked to be out of their sights why would she have run out the door? _'Because she was afraid…'_ The answer seemed to clear to him as he ran the streets searching for any sign of the yellow dog that had become such a big part of their lives in such a short amount of time. She had been trying to run away from the guys that were hurting her, when all the yelling and the commotion started she had run off to hide somewhere. "Where could she have gone? God why did they have to shovel the side walk after the snow last night! At least then we could have followed her tracks…" He thought allowed.

After each had gone about four hours in search of their dog; Mello had gone home and tried calling the local shelters but to no avail. No one had found a lost yellow puppy. He knocked on the neighbors doors explaining the situation, and walked down the stairs again to grab Matt's car and go find him, it was dark now and the temperature was dropping. Mello noticed that Matt had run off with out his vest or a jacket. He was out there in less then 30 degree weather with out anything but his shirt on. As mad as he was for Lunatic being gone, he didn't want to loose Matt either. He hit the speed dial on his phone and waited for Matt to pick up.

"Did you find her?" Was an out of breath Matt's voice.

"No… Where are you?" Mello asked as he started Matt's car.

"Outside the park…"

Mello could practically hear Matt's teeth chattering. "Stay there I'm coming to pick you up, it's too cold for you to be out here." Mello pulled up 15 minutes later to find Matt sitting on the curb with his head in his hands. He pulled over and got out of the car. "Come on Matt… Your going to get sick if you stay out here like this." Mello's voice was tired and he pulled a very un responsive Matt to his feet and put him in the passenger side of the car.

The ride home was quiet. "I called all the shelters and told all the neighbors she was gone Matt… If anyone finds her we'll know…" Mello left out the part that he'd also called the Mafia on it. If she turned out anywhere near any Mafia activity they'd know to.

Matt didn't reply, he just sat there looking down at his feet a tear moving down his cheek. "This is all my fault…" Matt croaked out, voice dry and cracked from the cold.

"No its not Matt… As much as I'd love to blame this on you I can't… I didn't make sure the door was shut when I went to get the extinguisher… You were just trying to help… In your own Matt way… We'll find her Matt don't look so down…"

"Its Christmas Eve Mell's… and I lost our baby…" Matt put his head down between his knees and just sat there. Then Mello saw Matt do something he hadn't seen him do for a few days, he pulled out a cigarette. He hadn't been smoking them around Lunatic because the pup would sneeze anytime she got wift of them and cower away. Matt had taken to only doing it out on the fire escape when Lunatic had collapsed after a long run.

Mello sighed and kept an eye out while he was driving for their dog, but it was hopelessly dark. "Maybe I should have let the Vet's office find her a home…"

Matt didn't say a word he just nodded his head as Mello parked the car and walked around to pull Matt out of his stupor back up to the apartment to warm up. Matt just let the cigarette fall to the ground when they got outside the door. They got back upstairs, and Matt just walked into their room and collapsed on the bed.

Mello sighed and put the food he'd ordered away. He looked around at the Christmas decorations and the stocking Matt had bought for Lunatic that hung by their fake fireplace that said puppy's first Christmas on it. Mello's heart skipped a beat at seeing the toys stuffed in it. And then he looked under the tree at the gifts they'd wrapped and tried to hide from the puppy. The pile of chewed up lights that she had torn off the tree last night that had been replaced this morning was a reminder of just how short time ago she had been causing hell. The chewed up shoes, the destroyed pillows from the couch from the few times they had left her alone. The blonde walked over to sit on the couch and heard a squeak as he sat on her camel. He sighed sadly. Where was their Lunatic? Matt was right, she was as close to a baby as either of them would ever have, she wasn't just some dog to them. Some where in the last few days he had become a dog lover, and now all he wanted for Christmas was for their family to be complete as it had been the last few days.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry I didn't get this up in time, and sorry it's a little shorter then the others. I spent my Christmas at the hospital and my grand mom passed away so believe me I wasn't slacking off on purpose, but I wanted to get this up for everyone! Thanks to all the reviewers. You guys are awesome! **

Matt shot up like a shot, looking around the bedroom and wiping the sweat from her forehead. The nightmare had been so vivid, and plus he was pretty sure he was running a temperature. After a moment he looked at the clock. It read 1:00 am. The redhead sat up and reached for his pack of cigarettes. He needed to calm his nerves, Mello was right they would find Lunatic she wouldn't end up like his dream had just ended.

To the red head's pain there was not one stick to be found in the carton. He sighed and got up and checked his coat for the pack he had picked up earlier that day, only to find that too to be empty. Apparently he had gone a little overboard while on the hunt for their missing puppy. He groaned and looked at his shaking hands. His addiction was not being helped by the stress he was putting himself through with the scenario's running through his head. He sighed and walked to the door. He realized as he made his way to the door to get another pack of cigarettes from the cabinet that Mello was not in the apartment. He froze and looked around, first Lunatic now Mello? Would Mello seriously have gone out without telling him? Yeah… Yeah he would have.

Mello sighed as he walked down the street. The late night meeting to figure out what to do with two of their guys who got caught by the police had run longer then he expected. Of course Mello had been hoping that when his cell phone rang it was someone calling about Lunatic he had been gravely disappointed. He wasn't sure if he could deal with the look on Matt's face tomorrow if Lunatic wasn't there.

He got on his bike outside the building and sighed, looking up at the light snow that was falling around him. The blonde groaned as he realized that he better pick up more cancer sticks for his red headed companion. He was pretty sure that he would be needing them after the sun rose. After stopping to pick them up and a few chocolate bars he made his way home, skidding to a stop a block away from home when he saw a dead animal by the side of the road. The fear in his blue eyes was evident, however he found that it was not their yellow dog. How had one yellow dog disappeared in the matter of five minutes? He couldn't be sure. Every time Mello saw a pair of reflective eyes in an ally he'd stop to check, cursing and kicking a trash can every time he found it to be a cat or a raccoon. Needless to say his way home was at a much slower rate. He checked his cell phone for any missed calls after he got off his bike and sighed in annoyance as the time red 4 am.

The blonde groaned and walked around his bike, he heard a soft whine and Mello turned to find a pair of reflective eyes under Matt's car. The eyes just stared at him, and Mello got down on his knees. "Please be Lunatic..." He prayed under his breath. "Lunatic?" He said a little louder; a pair of big yellow paws began to show from under the car, and then a nose and then the face of their yellow dog as the pup ran to Mello when called, leaping up into his arms. Mello hugged her tight a tear running down his cheek. "Oh thank god! You trying to get Matt and me to go into heart failure here? Don't ever run off again!" Mello kissed the top of her head around the many licks that were greeting his face. "You're practically frozen stiff Luna!" He says as he starts up the stairs. "It is like 20 degrees outside your lucky you are not a Popsicle! Lucky you're not a road kill popsicle!" Mello sighed and walked to their door putting his key in the lock and after fumbling for a moment got the door open. Once inside he put the pup down so she could go get a drink of water, and he got her food and put it down for her to eat something. She'd gone a while without any food, and the pup inhaled what was given to her.

Mello got up to tell Matt, but when he found him asleep in bed Mello couldn't bring himself to wake him. He looked comfortable and peaceful. He'd let Luna be self explanatory when he woke up. Mello turned around and found Luna asleep under the Christmas tree. "It's a Merry Christmas after all. Merry Christmas Lunatic… I think you're just what Matt and I wanted to find under that tree."

When it got a little later, Mello went in their room and shook Matt awake. He watched the green orbs become visible. Matt looked up at the blonde but didn't say anything.

"It's Christmas Matt… Come on."

"Christmas is just like any other day of the year." The red head grumbled and turned over on his side away from Mello.

"But Santa brought us something… Come on Matt please?"

"Mello you told me when I was 11 that the man in the red suit would never bring us anything… Why would he change his mind now? Unless it's a phone call as to Lunatic's whereabouts I'm not interested…"

"Matt just get your lazy ass out of bed!"

Matt groaned as Mello grabbed the comforter he was lying on and pulled it so Matt and everything else on the bed fell onto the floor.

"Well my lazy ass is out of the bed…" Matt says sitting up and running a hand through his bed head. His eyes squinting slightly up at Mello before getting himself to his feet and following Mello out of the bedroom. Matt stopped dead.

There under the tree with a big bow around her neck, sleeping soundly was their Lunatic. "Lunatic?"

Matt's voice sounded odd, but at the sound of his voice, a puppy ear twitched and sleepy brown eyes opened to look for the source of her name; before said pup jumped up and trotted over to Matt. Who scooped her up and squeezed her tight. "Oh god… Santa is a godsend." Matt sat down on the couch clinging to her, a tear spilling down his cheek. He looked up at Mello and the blonde just smiled at him.

"Santa bring you what you wanted?"

"No Santa brought me what I needed." Matt paused at the new collar around her neck, and looked at the tag around her neck. Which read:

_Lunatic_

_If Found Return to Matt and Mello_

Then both their cell phone numbers.

"Does this mean we're definitely keeping her?" Matt asked eyes looking up at Mello hopefully.

"Yeah Matt… I think this proves that we need her as much as she needs us." Mello sat down next to them, and put one arm around Matt, and the other around Lunatic. "Welcome to the family Lunatic…"

"Poor child is going to need therapy…" Matt commented, smiling softly. "Present time!" Matt said and jumped off the couch, sitting Luna next to Mello and grabbing two gifts under the tree. He handed one to Mello and opened one for Lunatic. It was a large bone, basted in beef and Lunatic looked confused, but licked it before her eyes lit up and she started to chew on it happily.

Mello looked at his more skeptically. "What's this?"

"It's for you Mello…"

The blonde looked down at the bag, and he opened it slowly. There was a new cell phone, an I phone to be exact. "Wow…"

"That's not all though, you see I got one for me, and I rigged a chip to put on lunatic's collar… I would have put it on her collar yesterday if I'd known she'd run off… But anyway… If you hit the touch screen here… and Here… You can find here on the map where the other people with phones are…"

Mello's eyes widened a bit. "Matt…"

"At least this way… We'll never loose each other…" Matt looked down a bit waiting for Mello to yell.

"You really worry about that a lot don't you? Loosing the people you care about…"

"Yeah…"

Mello smiled and stood up and pulled Matt into a hug. "Now you won't loose me."

The yellow pup sat up and watched the two, letting out a little yip, so that both boys turned around. "And we won't loose you either." Mello smiled.


End file.
